The recycling of glass is an energy intensive and highly tuned process that results in a very large quantity of mixed and contaminated glass that cannot be converted into conventional glass products using current systems. Estimates have volume of glass sent to recycling that gets diverted to glass fines waste running at about 30%, which constitutes a very large amount of material (mountains of glass) with a massive embodied energy load. Running as a parallel activity to a large research project for Sustainability Victoria this studio introduces you to sustainability focussed design thinking and methods of experimentation in order to find new high value applications for otherwise very low value and unusable glass fines.

Partnered with Mark Douglas from Mark Douglass Design (specialist glass design studio) and Alex Fraser Group (urban miners) the studio will involve developing practical methods of re-purposing glass fines into a viable commodity with unique characteristics for the production of high-value glass goods.

Please note: this studio will involve intensive sessions in an industrial glass-works, group work, material and process experimentation and rigorous design documentation.